Accelerated Resolution Therapy, usually shortened to ART, is an evidence-based approach that works directly on how distressing experiences are stored, rather than on how well you can describe them.
It uses guided imagery alongside sets of horizontal eye movements, and it is unusually fast — many people notice a substantial change within one to five sessions.
How Accelerated Resolution Therapy Works
Difficult experiences are held in the brain as bundles of images, body sensations, emotions and beliefs. When something in the present cues one, the whole bundle activates and the body responds as though it were happening now.
ART engages that stored material while it is briefly open to change, then replaces the distressing sensory component with something neutral or positive. This is often described as “keep the knowledge, lose the pain.”
You do not have to tell me what happened
This is the feature that matters most to a lot of people. ART can be done without you describing the content of the memory out loud. If you have avoided therapy because narrating the event feels impossible, this removes that barrier entirely.
What it helps with
- Single-incident trauma — an accident, an assault, a medical event
- Intrusive images and flashbacks
- Grief that has not settled
- Phobias and specific fears
- The particular memories sitting underneath anxiety or depression
- Distress connected to a defined event rather than a diffuse pattern
What a session looks like
You stay fully awake, aware and in control throughout. This is not hypnosis, and nothing proceeds without your agreement. You hold an image in mind while following my hand through sets of eye movements, then we work with whatever shifts.
Sessions run longer than a standard hour and are highly structured. Feeling tired afterwards is common and passes.
What it does not do
It does not erase memories, and it will not make you forget something happened. It is also not a fit for every presentation — conditions such as OCD need a specific protocol, and diffuse difficulties with no clear event attached usually respond better to other approaches. I will tell you honestly if I do not think it is the right tool.
Availability
I am trained in ART and offer it in person in Tampa and online across Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Washington.
Getting started
Read about what to expect or request a free 15-minute consultation.
